Follow as I build a Z Scale Christmas Tree Layout

I have not had a Christmas Tree layout in ages, the last being an HO one more than 30 years ago, and I decided I want one. As I remember, I only ran it 1 Christmas, then it disappeared forever after a particularly nasty divorce. Long ago and forgotten for many seasons, I am going for it this year.

This time, in Z Scale, and it will not sit on the floor. I envision it sitting on a coffee table or end table against a wall, with an easy to manage 4' tree mounted to a 2' round table top. This way I can put the grand kid's presents under the layout on the floor, and more easily run trains. I want 2 loops of track, so I can run trains in each direction. I drew up a basic idea in Corel Draw, and this is what I want to build:



After I had a basic idea of what I wanted, I ordered a 4' Illuminated Christmas Tree. This was back in September, when I ordered some more outdoor Christmas lights. A couple days ago I went to Lowes and bought a 2 foot round 1 inch thick pine table top for $16, a can of Expanding Polystyrene Foam for $6, and a bottle of wood glue for $2.50. I started by laying out the cutting and drilling pattern this morning:



I used a 1/2" flag bit to drill holes for the tree stand to fit:



Next I cut out material to make it easier to wire any structures I want to add, and hide the electrical underneath. This also reduced the weight considerably:



I Hot Glued the tree stand into the holes I drilled for the legs:



Next I cut some chipboard to use as a layout base:



I taped them in place with painters tape, and am waiting for the glue to set while i post this and then go for lunch:

 

That's an impressive Helix Tree, very well done but far more ambitious a project than what I am looking for. Being older and afflicted with age induced infirmity, I have to go smaller and lightweight. I struggled putting the tree topper on last year's full size tree, so smaller is where i'm headed this year.

 

So, after lunch I started prep for the mountains. I covered the tree legs with chipboard and tape in a rough mountain form:



Next I started applying the polystyrene foam:



Once the can was exhausted, I called it a day, as the stuff takes overnight to cure. I left the garage heat set to 50 so it would still cure because it gets down to the teens at night.



This morning I started to carve the mountain form with a serrated steak knife:



I continued carving till I had a base with all the fun elements I wanted to include. So I cleared away room for 2 parallel loops of track, I carved a basic mountain roadway all around the parameter, including a tunnel through one of the mountains, and roads up to higher elevation mountain cabins. I also carved away a place for a mountain stream, and there will have to be small bridges to cross them. So, Tunnel... Check, Bridges... Check, Stream... Check, Roads... Check. Carving is done for now.

 

Super cool, Robert! I tried making mountains in N scale from spay foam 20 years ago, and it was a BIG mess. Didn't do anything I wanted it to. Probably user error!

 

For Z Scale, the expanding foam works well because we don't need much height to give the feeling of having hills. These ones are only 4.5" tall but that works out to just over 80 scale feet.

 

After my coffee break I resumed construction. I glued 1/2 of a strip of N Scale cork roadbed down, 1/4" in from the edge of the board, just enough so I can apply a proper ballast profile.



While the glue was setting, I brought in the tree for inspiration. It's a 2 piece tree with lights, and it fits in a box 8 times smaller than my 7' tree, which I just gave away to my son's family as they posted on Facebook that they can't find theirs this year.



Here is the store photo of the new 4' tree. As you can see it has plenty of clearance from the top of the tree stand to the bottom branches, so a clear view of most of the layout should be visible:



After the glue had set for the first loop of cork, I used a small piece of cork to space the second loop of cork roadbed. I only had enough T-pins to do one loop at a time:



And while that loop of roadbed glue is drying, I whipped out the rotary tool and ground a small creek under the tracks. Oh, look at the time, it's Lunch time, it's wonderful Lunch! I'm not hungry, so I will just cut up a roast into cubes, and fill the Insta Pot with all the fixings for a hearty stew, which should be ready early this afternoon. The weather is cold today, with rain and snow last night, clearing to a colder and frozen 31 degrees right now. It's supposed to reach 34 degrees today, and I caught a terrible cold after putting up Christmas lights Sunday, so hot peppermint tea with honey is in order before I prepare the stew. Here is the lunch hour status of the build:

 

Looking good! At first, I thought you were going to route the track thru the tunnel.

 

After preparing a big Insta-Pot full of stew, I came back to start on the wiring. So the plan is to fit everything underneath, and have a single power plug come out the base. I drilled a hole and cut a 6' - 14 AWG extension cord, then fed it through the base:




Next I taped the upper and lower Christmas Tree connectors, to the outlet end of the extension cord, and fed it through the hilltop, extending up. The extension outlet is in case I want to add other lights besides the lights that came with the tree. I want to add the bubble lights, so I needed power for that. Maybe a tree topper to some day:



And underneath I hot glued the extension in place. I plan on using WAGO lever nuts instead of wire nuts for the AC connections. I am stopping for the day cause I am hungry now, so will continue tomorrow:

 

I caught a really bad cold, and am waiting till I feel better to continue here. I have been drinking hot herb tea, eating soups and stews, and watching Christmas movies week. Also I got a call from the vet that my Kittie's ashes and Urn are ready for pickup, so I hope to be mobile by Monday, and continue so i can get my tree up.